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Original poster

I have finally found something that works for DSs excema, but it is costing a fortune...

36 replies

sherby · 05/05/2009 20:10

We have tried all the usual prescribed stuff, oilatum, doublebase, steroid cream etc etc and most of it just aggravated it

But we have been doing dead sea salt baths twice a day, and Aveeno cream 3 times a day for 3 WEEK and to my amazement his eczema has cleared up to a tiny little patch about the size of a 20p piece

But it is costing a fortune! If I went to the GP and told her we had found something that worked is she allowed to write a script for it? has anybody else done this?

OP posts:
peggotty · 05/05/2009 20:12

You can get aveeno on script but your gp might be reluctant due to costs. They wouldn't prescribe it for my ds when i asked but his eczema wasn't too bad. definately go and ask though.

theyoungvisiter · 05/05/2009 20:12

afaik they are only allowed to prescribe drugs approved by NICE. So if sea salt and Aveeno are on the list of treatments, yes you can ask.

Not an expert though, so perhaps someone else will know (I really clicked on the thread to see what your magic cure was!)

Greedygirl · 05/05/2009 20:23

The nurse practitioner at my local GP prescribes my son Aveeno - it is fab isn't it?!

Original poster
sherby · 05/05/2009 20:25

oh thanks very helpful, will get down there and ask then

I wish it was a magic cure! we have tried so much stuff I'm sure you know what its like

But the sea salt baths have really really worked, we are using tons more than it says on the pack, but even a day after we could see the difference. The poor little boy had it all up and down the back of one of his legs and it is nearly all gone yay!

OP posts:
nigglewiggle · 05/05/2009 20:26

We get Aveeno bath oil on prescription and it is great. Not sure whether they can prescribe the cream. But, if they can and you can tell them it is working then they bloody well should!

Original poster
sherby · 05/05/2009 20:26

Plus we have been putting him in shorts so that the air and sun can get to the worse of it. That seems to have been helpful in drying all the weeping/crustyness up

OP posts:
used2bthin · 05/05/2009 20:28

Can someone tell me what the Dead sea salt stuff in please? I'd like to try it for dd's skin. Do you get it in a health food shop or pharmacy? I don't know about the prescriptions for those items but our community nurse told me I can get sun sense sun block prescribed.(just a random fact I know thats not what you asked. Also I have heard that some people have had success wth getting lower rate DLA for thier child with severe excema due to the extra care that it requires to keep thier skin under control.

Original poster
sherby · 05/05/2009 20:33

Dead sea salt I get from Boots it is about £7 a box will see if I can find a link

It literally is just sea salt from the dead sea lol, I think it has lots of minerals and natural la de da kind of things in it, I just tip a load under the hot tap and it dissolves under the tap. The water goes all lovely and soft

OP posts:
Original poster
sherby · 05/05/2009 20:34

here

OP posts:
Original poster
sherby · 05/05/2009 20:42

hope it works for you

OP posts:
HoorahHilda · 05/05/2009 20:43

We are under a Dermotologist for my daughters ezcema . We started trying out Aveeno a few months ago ..I can now get it on pescription ,no problem . Original request was from Dermotologist though . It has really improved my daughters skin..will deffo try the salts though .

HoorahHilda · 05/05/2009 20:46

Aveeno Cream ..!

iris66 · 05/05/2009 20:47

Wow - that's such good news sherby I'm so pleased for you (and your DS obviously!) I'm going to Boots tomorrow!

thesockmonsterofdoom · 05/05/2009 20:50

I get aveeno on script from gp. cream, lotion and bath stuff as well as a million other creams, none of them bloody work though.

Original poster
sherby · 05/05/2009 20:52

oh sorry its not working for you, it is so horrible seeing them scratching and bleeding thanks for letting me know you got it from your gp though

OP posts:
MaLopez · 05/05/2009 21:04

Take your son in and see a doctor who has seen him before so they can compare. I did this for my DD. One hand with expensive treatment and one hand with current prescription. The difference was glaring and she prescribed expensive creams immediately. If you don't ask you don't get.

Not sure if the Dead sea salts are available on scripts though. If it's to take hardness out of the water, there might be something else they can prescribe but I am not sure. Had a quick look in the BNF and have not found dead sea salts but found Aveeno.

jkklpu · 05/05/2009 21:07

our GP just prescribed Aveeno cream - 3 tubes in 1 go, so we've only just started to use it. Great to see all these success stories - fingers crossed.

anchovies · 05/05/2009 21:12

Our doctors won't prescribe aveeno as apparently it is too expensive (despite it being the only thing that works and me taking all 3 children back countless times...)

However posting to let you know that if your docs won't prescribe they have it in costco at around £5 for 3 tubes of the lotion, compared to my local boots who sell it for about £8 per tube!

used2bthin · 05/05/2009 22:26

Thanks Sherby, I will buy some tomorrow, got to be worth a try. DD's excema and psoriasis was so bad at one point that she was prescribed pro topic which someone on here tld me was £90 a tube!!! So you'd think they would prescribe Aveeno. Having said that, the dermatologist prescribed it so maybe thats why we got it.

silkcushion · 05/05/2009 22:33

we have aveeno cream on prescription from GP. dd also was previuosly prescribed pro topic which i also believe is experimental and v expensive.

Our gp is lovely and genuinely pleased that aveeno is helping. He used to seem almost as upset as we were that he couldn't help her when she was a very little baby and desperately sore with open weeping eczema.

Funnily enough paediatric dermotologist never prescribed aveeno. he didn't seem too bothered by emollients - he thought they were much of a muchness. One thing that did work which he tred and I haven't heard others mention was low level antibiotics for 8 weeks. Did seem to get things under control

used2bthin · 06/05/2009 13:42

I got some dead sea salt stuff today I am going to put it in DDs bath tonight and see if it helps. Silkcushion DDs dermatologist also prescribed anti biotics to start with it was the only thing at the time that really helped. I have heard that with emoliants its a case of finding one that works for you because DD got worse with aqueous cream weirdly. We use epiderm now I did try aveeno and its quite sftening for when her skin is dry but didn't seem to do much for the psoriasis flakey bits. I might use the rest of t myself though as it is lovely and soothing!

zookeeper · 06/05/2009 13:45

Another desperate mum off to Boots today - Aveeno didn't help my dd at all

acebaby · 06/05/2009 14:16

My doctor prescribes Aveeno for DS2. We get through two tubes a week! He has severe ezcema that has been brought under control by moisturising his whole body at every nappy change. He doesn't even need the steroid cream any more, but he is the world's slimiest baby.

The doctor (who was fantastic) said that we just had to go through all the creams until we found one that worked. I disagree that emollients are all the same. Children with very sensitive skin can react badly to the components of a cream. E45 makes DS2 worse for example.

meep · 06/05/2009 14:22

I get Aveeno cream and Aveeno oil on prescription for both dd1 and for me.

E45 stings me when I use it - Epiderm was pretty useless. I agree that you do have to try a lot of things before you find something that works. But the best advice I got was to layer the cream on - don't rub it in - just leave a thick layer on the skin (if you can and your dc doesn't try to lick it off!) and let it dry in. Also apply as often as you can - like acebaby does, at every nappy change/face wuipe/hand wash etc.

DeathbyDora · 06/05/2009 14:25

It's fabulous stuff isn't it! It's a shame how some things work really well for some children and not at all on others though.

Just FYI, if you ever go to the US or have any friends that go there is a whole range of stuff over there that I haven't been able to find in the UK. (Or if someone has found it please let me know!)

They do an Aveeno Baby range which includes bath powders, shampoo, baby creamy wash and all sorts.

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